It is commonly known to form, fill, close and seal cartons or boxes as they are transported along conveyors, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,637, Baker, assigned to the assignee of the present application. These cartons are filled with food or other delicate items and normally move on a plurality of conveyors transporting the cartons past several operation stations, including side sealing stations. In the case of a Charlotte carton sealed along the sides, that is, along a front flap and then along the end flaps thereof, it is necessary to turn the carton 90.degree. to effect the desired sealing operations.
Various attempts have been made at performing the turning of the cartons. In one approach, the conveyors are situated at right angles to one another. However, this is generally not desirable from the standpoint of space considerations. Also, various mechanisms have been employed to cause the turning of the carton moving along the conveyor system. Typically, the mechanisms for turning the cartons employ a hooking mechanism to hook the box and contents, thereby resulting in a deleterious jerking action. This is not satisfactory from the standpoint that the box and/or contents may be damaged. A hooking mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,779 to Goldman.
Still, another approach at turning the boxes or cartons has been to use a stop and guide rail device in conjunction with the conveyor, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,977 to Theys et al. Again, this is not altogether satisfactory from the standpoint that the box and/or contents may be adversely affected.
Furthermore, when cartons are turned by friction, especially if the product is relatively heavy, unusually light or with uneven weight distribution, the turning action is sometimes erratic. This is also true where cartons being turned have a product inside susceptible to shifting during turning. Thus, a need is identified for assuring positive turning of the cartons, especially under these special conditions.